1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosed subject matter relates to a disposable cup for serving beverages, such as water and coffee, and food items, such as ice cream. Particularly, the present disclosed subject matter is directed to a cup having a multi-layer structure to provide improved insulating properties, among other benefits.
2. Description of Related Art
Some known types of disposable cups include those made from polystyrene, expanded polystyrene or paper. Although polystyrene cups can be aesthetically pleasing, they can have relatively poor insulating properties compared to other cups, and thus are mainly used for holding cold items. Condensation can form on the outside of a polystyrene cup containing a cold item, thereby making the cup wet, cold, and/or uncomfortable to use and/or hold for prolonged periods of time. The condensation can also make the polystyrene cup slippery, thus making the cup even more difficult and/or uncomfortable to hold. Further, polystyrene cups are generally not biodegradable or easily recyclable, and thus can be considered environmentally unfriendly.
Another type of cup, made from expanded polystyrene, or EPS (e.g., a Styrofoam® cup), can have improved thermal insulation properties compared to other cups, and thus can maintain the temperature of a drink, either hot or cold, for a longer amount of time. Expanded polystyrene cups can be relatively inexpensive, and can be comfortable to handle as the exterior of the cup remains relatively close to ambient temperature regardless of the temperature of the item inside the cup. However, expanded polystyrene is also generally not biodegradable or easily recyclable, and thus can also be considered environmentally unfriendly. Additionally, as expanded polystyrene cups are typically printed after they have been formed, and the relatively rough surface of the cup can be incompatible with high-resolution printing, relatively slow and costly processes are typically used for printing on expanded polystyrene cups.
Yet another type of disposable cups, made from paper, are generally recyclable and biodegradable, and thus can be considered environmentally friendly. However, paper cups, particularly single-layer paper cups, can have relatively poor thermal insulation properties, and thus, an item contained therein tends to maintain its temperature for a relatively short amount of time. Paper cups can also be uncomfortable to handle as a hot or cold drink can uncomfortably heat or cool a person's hand. Additionally, like polystyrene cups, a cold drink can cause condensation to appear on the outside of the paper cup, making the cup slippery and/or difficult to hold. Furthermore, paper cups constructed with a single wall or layer can be relatively fragile, and thus, paper cups can susceptible to weakening after exposure to liquids.
Multi-layer paper cups can provide improved thermal insulation and increased strength compared to single-layer paper cups. Multi-layer cups generally include an outer layer and an inner layer, and can include an insulating layer therebetween. Although relatively strong and thermally efficient, multi-layer cups can be relatively expensive if a more complicated manufacturing processes and excess material is required. Some examples of multi-layer cups, including paper cups, that attempt to address these concerns can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,552,841; 6,663,926; 6,598,786; and 6,193,098; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008/0121681 and 2008/0041860; and International Publication No. WO2011/003569, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. However, there remains an opportunity for improvement for a disposable cup that is strong, well-insulated and inexpensive to manufacture.